I'll have a driver to go, please

Saturday

Jul 6, 2013 at 1:26 PM

By Linda Bock, TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

STURBRIDGE — An waitress on duty at the Publick House restaurant on Main Street (Route 131) apparently left the building during her shift on Friday evening when her boyfriend ran in and asked her to cover for him and tell police that she was the person driving a vehicle involved in a fender-bender near the restaurant, according to authorities..

Unfortunately for the couple. the police chief of a neighboring town was in the restaurant parking lot around the same time and saw three men, but no woman, get out of the damaged vehicle.

Brookfield Police Chief Michael Blanchard, who was not in uniform, called Sturbridge Police after he saw three men flee from a damaged car shortly after two vehicles collided in front of the Pulick House. One of the vehicles had left the accident scene.

Police Sgt. Earl Dessert and Officer Daniel Hemingway investigated the incident, and after speaking with several witnesses, determined that the driver had been a middle-aged man, and not the waitress, The man's 18-year-old son and a 17-year-old from Charlton were passengers.

"The girlfriend claimed she was driving the vehicle," said Police Sgt. Kevin R. Mercier, but eventually the two passengers admitted to police who actually had been driving the vehicle.

The man determined to be the driver is Omar E. Velez, 36, of 27 Village Drive, Apt. 6, Southbridge. He was arrested on a warrant issued out of Southbridge, and also charged with obstruction of justice, driving with a suspended license, second offense, and leaving the scene of a property damage accident.

His son, Omar Xavier Velez, 18, of 10 Schoolhouse Road, Charlton, was charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, possession of marijuana and conspiracy to violate drug laws.

The waitress, Michelle Sweeney, 32, of 2 River Ave., Apt. 1, Southbridge, will be summoned to face a charge of obstruction of justice, police said.

Both father and son posted bail and are scheduled to be arraigned in Dudley District Court on Monday.